In Chinese Five Element Theory, autumn is governed by the metal element. Metal relates to the emotion of grief, so it’s a key time to resolve sadness and release thoughts and feelings that no longer serve us. If we don’t give ourselves the time and space to do this, we risk leaving our lives cluttered with unnecessary physical and emotional ‘stuff’. This stuff weighs us down and holds us back from living our best lives.

Writer Franky Shanahan was 22 when her father died of leukaemia. Today, she’s sharing her experience of living with grief for more than a decade and explaining how she uses self-care to help her let go of sadness.